Coffee-drier.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l,

D. GORDON.

COFFEE DRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1905.

N 0 Il IIH INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

#Wa/MM PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

D. GORDON.

COFFEE DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1o, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j l1bn/me f7@ mn BY WITNESSES:

' Ma/Z UNITED 'STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

DOUGLAS GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MARCUS MASON &COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

COFFEE-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed January 10,1905. Serial No. 240,456.

To all whom t 111,007/ concern: A

Beit known that I, DOUGLAS GORDON, a subject of the King ofGreatBritain, and a resident of Worcester, county of Worcester, State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoffee- Driers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for drying grains, berries, and thelike, and particularly to colfee-driers. In drying apparatus ofthe typeherein I have discovered that a certain quantity of the berries are aptto pack at the ends of the device, rotating with the cylinder, and byreason of their failure to be tumbled, as is the remainder of thematerial, do not get equal treatment therewith. In treatment of thismaterial it is exceedingly necessary that all the portions thereof getequal treatment, and the berries are constantly tumbled, so that theylwill be treated alike upon all sides. Should any parts fail to betumbled, so as to move horizontally or endwise of the machine away fromthe side wall, their treatment is likely to be uneven, as one portionwill be subjected to the drying or heating process to a greater extentthan will the other. To avoid this, I have provid ed the ends of thetumbling-cylinder with radialY projecting ribs, whereby I insure theproper movement of the berries contiguous thereto.

A further improvement consists in dividing the central air-inlet tubeinto two separate chambers, so that air admitted at opposite ends cannotpass directly through the tube, but is deflected immediately into thetumbling-cylinder. In this form of apparatus the usual practice is toadmit air at both ends into the central tube, and I have found that theresult of this is often to cause a greater quantity of air to enter oneend of the tumbling-cylinder than the other. This follows from a varietyof causes. For instance, if the air-pressure on one side is a littlegreater than on the other or if the distributing-oriiices on one sideare less than the other the incoming currents will fail to meet at thecenter of the apparatus, but will meet and be deflected at one sidethereof. By dividing the tube accurately in the middle the air will bemore evenly distributed, as one half of the cylinder will be fed fromone side and the other half from the other, regardless of the pressuresof air or resistance oifered thereto. rlhe cylinder-space is usually inopen connection lengthwise, but divided widthwise into a plurality ofchambers by longitudinal diaphragms.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will nowproceed to describe an apparatus embodying the same and will then pointout the novel features in claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partially in side elevation andpartially in vertical longitudinal section, of an apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view in central transverse vertical sectiontherethrough. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the end tumbling-ribsemployed, showing the same detached from the remainder of the apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a tumbling-cylinder l, mounted to rotate inbearings upon suitable supports 2, and a central tube 3, constituting ameans for admitting and distributing air. The cylinder 1 comprises acylindrical shell 4; and end heads 5. The interior space is divided intofour chambers by longitudinal partitions 6, and the usual or any desiredform of tumbling-plates 7 are employed, as is common. At the interior ofthe end heads I have provided inwardly-projecting tumbling-ribs 8, oneof which is shown in `detail inFig. 3, the said ribs being preferably oftriangular form in cross-section, and at their inner ends preferablytapering to a point 9, so as to prevent the clogging vof material atpoints near the center of rotation of the tumbling-cylinder as a whole.These tumbling-ribs prevent the berries or beans from hugging the endheads 5, causing them to be constantly tumbled and thrown away from thewall toward the center of the apparatus as the cylinder revolves.

The central tube 3 in the present instance forms the main support forthe tumbling-cylinder, the ends thereof constituting trunnions therefor.At its opposite ends the said tube receives the ends of air-supply pipes10, suitable stufling-boxes 11 being provided for preventing leakage ofair, which is usually heated air under a slight pressure. The said tubeat the portion within the cylinder is provided with the usualdistributing air-openings 12, which connect with radial perforated tubes13,

IOO

whereby air is supplied to the interior of the cylinder. In the middleof the tube 3 I have supplied a diaphragm 14, which dividesthe said tube3 into two chambers, so that air admitted fromvopposte ends cannot passthe.

center of the tube, and therefore is forced to directly enter thetumbling-cylinder. This diaphragm, as above stated, will prevent the airpassing from one end of the tube to the other, so that air admitted atopposite ends will be admitted to corresponding ends of the cylinder,and therefore properly and evenly distributed. The central tube Bispreferably composed of a plurality of flanged pipe-sections connectedtogether at their anged ends, as shown, and the diaphragm 14 mayconveniently be a circular disk located between two of the iianged endsat the center of the device.

What I claim is* 1. In a drier, the combination with a dryingdrumdivided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, said drum havingend heads, tumbling-plates for tumbling the material in the severalchambers, and radial tumblingscema ribs secured to the said end heads inthe sev= eral chambers and arranged todeiiect material from the said endheads.

2. In a drier, the combination with adryingdrum provided withtumbling-plates, of tumbling-ribs secured to the end heads of the saiddrum, said ribs radially disposed and substantially triangular intransverse section, substantially as set forth.

3. In adrier, the combination with adryingdrum divided longitudinallyinto a plurality of chambers, said drum having end heads,tumbling-plates for tumbling the material in the several chambers,radial tumbling-ribs secured to the said end heads in the severalchambers and arranged to deflect material from the said end heads, andmeans for admitting air independently at opposite ends of the said drumto the said chambers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of January,1905.

DOUGLAS GORDON.

Witnesses:

I). HOWARD HAYWooD, LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr.

